North Korea leader dismisses top officials after standoff eases

[webfact]

North Korea leader dismisses top officials after standoff eases
By HYUNG-JIN KIM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed top officials in the wake of a recent standoff with South Korea, state media reported Friday, a move that suggests the young leader holds them responsible for allowing the confrontation to nearly spin out of control.

The rival Koreas earlier this week threatened strikes against each other before agreeing on measures to reduce animosity. The standoff began after land mines that Seoul says the North planted maimed two South Korean soldiers. Seoul responded by resuming propaganda broadcasts critical of Kim's authoritarian rule for the first time in 11 years. Pyongyang then threatened to destroy the South Korean loudspeakers, and Seoul says the rivals exchanged artillery fire at the border.

During a ruling Workers' Party meeting, Kim hailed the agreement, which came after marathon talks, as a "crucial landmark" that put "catastrophic" inter-Korean relations back on track toward reconciliation, according to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency. Kim also dismissed an unspecified number of members of the party's Central Military Commission, which handled the standoff, a KCNA dispatch said.

It gave no reasons for the dismissals, but outside analysts said they may have been sacked because they misjudged South Korea's strong response to the mine blasts.

North Korea is intolerant of any outside criticism of its political system and worries, analysts say, that the broadcasts heard over the border could demoralize frontline troops and residents and eventually weaken Kim's leadership.

South Korea switched off its loudspeakers Tuesday after North Korea expressed "regret" that the South Korean soldiers were injured by the mine explosion. The vague agreement allows Pyongyang to continue denying it laid the mines and Seoul to claim that the term "regret" signals an apology.

South Korean officials hope the agreement will help improve ties, but the two Koreas have a history of failing to follow through on past reconciliation accords, and their ties have been bad since conservatives took power in Seoul in early 2008.

During the party meeting Kim also ordered soldiers to help a recently flooded city, a sign of his need to show his people he cares about a decrepit economy.

Since taking over after the death of his dictator father Kim Jong Il in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has vowed to revive the economy and boost standards of living even as he pushes development of nuclear-armed missiles condemned by neighboring countries and the United States.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-28

[JoePai]

At least he did not shoot them this time

[fritzzz25]

At least he did not shoot them this time

North Korea's firearms ammunition is on back order. The shooting will come later.

[hgma]

UNBELIEVABLE.

This is still ongoing in 2015

Its like watching a newly discovered tribe in the Amazon getting in contact with the outside world for the first time ever.

Only this tribe has nukes and will use them at will.

[peterjackson]

I think 'dismisses' is the new North Korean P.C. word for executes.

[elgordo38]

At least he did not shoot them this time

Everybody bowed to each other and saved face and kicked the can down the road. I like this phrase "Move On"

[car720]

UNBELIEVABLE.

This is still ongoing in 2015

Its like watching a newly discovered tribe in the Amazon getting in contact with the outside world for the first time ever.

Only this tribe has nukes and will use them at will.

A bit like some other place I know.

[Gulfsailor]

At least he did not shoot them this time

No, the latest one was sentenced to hanging. I guess they ran out of anti tank grenades.

From official DPRK Twitter feed;

"Information Minister Roh Tae-Woo arrested and sentenced to death by hanging for insufficient revolutionary enthusiasm.

5:10 PM - 26 Aug 2015"

[Torrens54]

At least he did not shoot them this time

They may live long enough to wish he had shot them.

This fat little chap has worse things in his little "Box of Tricks" than simple shooting:

He fed his Uncle to a pack of starving dogs. Admittedly he gave the Uncle a "sporting chance" to perhaps outrun the dogs, he didn't just tie him up and turn the Pooches onto him.

As for Shooting, well he came up with a novel way of dispatching another official recently, he gave him to an Anti-Aircraft Unit who "lined-up" one of their BIG Guns on the guy and made Mince Meat of him.

Wonder what his old School in Switzerland thinks of their Star Student?

Edited August 28, 2015 by Torrens54

[Credo]

He apparently excelled in Medieval history.

[Lukecan]

They make up a bunch of BS about this Kim Jong Un guy saying he killed his uncle, fed his nephew to tigers etc. I don't believe any of it, its BS fabricated by the western and south korean media.

[Credo]

Do they make up his threats to use nuclear weapons and his missile tests?

[Exsexyman]

They make up a bunch of BS about this Kim Jong Un guy saying he killed his uncle, fed his nephew to tigers etc. I don't believe any of it, its BS fabricated by the western and south korean media.

This particular story about the dogs was complete BS, started by a 'satirist' in Hong Kong. Of course he knows his audience, lots of people out there who are desperate to believe this stuff and who are willing to make fools of themselves on public forums by displaying their gullibility!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10553219/Kim-Jong-un-fed-uncle-to-dogs-myth-started-by-satirical-tweet.html

[impulse]

They make up a bunch of BS about this Kim Jong Un guy saying he killed his uncle, fed his nephew to tigers etc. I don't believe any of it, its BS fabricated by the western and south korean media.

This particular story about the dogs was complete BS, started by a 'satirist' in Hong Kong. Of course he knows his audience, lots of people out there who are desperate to believe this stuff and who are willing to make fools of themselves on public forums by displaying their gullibility!

If they dig a little deeper, I think they'll find a money connection to a ranch in Wyoming...

[Jenny Adara]

Were they broadcasting Gangnam style accross the border, that would be enough to make Kim cack his pants.